5 great towns to see by helicopter

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Photos:5 great towns to see by helicopter

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – All eyes are on Rio this month, but what better way to view the city than from the air? Helisight offers seven chopper routes over Brazil's Wonderful City.

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Photos:5 great towns to see by helicopter

Hong Kong – What tops an unbeatable harbor view from a window seat in the lofty China Clipper Lounge on the 30th floor of the Peninsula Hong Kong? An even more unbeatable view from inside an MD902 helicopter lifting off from the famed hotel's twin helipad.

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Photos:5 great towns to see by helicopter

Hong Kong – Heliservices' lineup of flyover trips ranges from whirlwind 15-minute trips, to 30-minute trips taking in Kowloon or Hong Kong Geopark, to private 45-minute tours that go all the way out to Lantau Island and the New Territories.

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Photos:5 great towns to see by helicopter

London – Soaring 1,000 vertical feet over the River Thames in a bright yellow G-ORKI helicopter takes urban sightseeing to an entirely different level.

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Photos:5 great towns to see by helicopter

London – Lifting off from southwest London's Battersea Heliport (only recently opened to tourists), The London Helicopter hosts a range of tours from the riverside essentials to a tour covering nearly 40

Los Angeles – A Los Angeles tour doesn't get more classic than Orbic Air's standard flyover, which includes cool close-ups of the Hollywood Sign and views of celebrity home rooftops in Beverly Hills and Bel Air.

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Photos:5 great towns to see by helicopter

Los Angeles – Orbic's "Romance Package" covers several Tinseltown landmarks en route to the city's most natural charms along the coast -- featuring a climactic landing on a secluded Malibu plateau with complimentary bubbly, dessert and a rose.